


the city seems to glow

by eab5c5



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, LMAO, M/M, Magic, The Polar Express AU !!, also can u guess the two elves mentioned somewhere in here ?? eheh, and chenle vows to make him believe in the magic of christmas !!, he hates christmas in the beginning of this, kinda scrooge jeno, yes it's 6 days after christmas and what about it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:41:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22062709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eab5c5/pseuds/eab5c5
Summary: “I hate Christmas.”“What?” That sparkle in the boy’s eyes fades a bit and Jeno wonders if it’s because of him. “What do you mean you hate Christmas?”“I just hate Christmas. The music is annoying, having to buy presents for everyone is annoying and Santa Claus isn’t even real. Big companies just made him up so they could sell more stuff during Christmas.”“Santa Claus is real though.”“What?”Chenle is pouting next to him and shrugs, “Santa Claus is real. I’ve met him before.”
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Zhong Chen Le
Comments: 4
Kudos: 54
Collections: NCT Rarepair Winter Bingo





	the city seems to glow

**Author's Note:**

> [ For NCT Rarepair Winter Bingo !! Tiles: Hot Chocolate, Christmas Trees, Lights, Reindeer, Celebration ]
> 
> Okay, this might suck because I rushed it a bit to get a done before the New Year, but I still hope it's somewhat enjoyable regardless? I just love JenLe a lot, so I wanted to get at least one more work published for them before 2020! Also The Polar Express is a fantastic film and never fails to make me cry. (This does not follow the story of the book or film, but it does take place in the universe!)
> 
> Title is from Spirit of the Season which is on the Polar Express soundtrack. It's a really good song, so if you're still willing to listen to Christmas music you should check it out!

There’s a train outside Jeno’s house. 

If he happened to live next to a train station this would be normal. Jeno does not live next to a train station. In fact, he’s pretty sure the city he lives in only has subways, which he takes to school every morning. It certainly doesn’t have any railroad tracks for the steam-powered locomotive he’s seeing from his bedroom window now. 

“Resident of 127 New Drive! Resident of 127 New Drive, if you could please board the train within the next thirty seconds...” 

Jeno’s house _is_ 127 New Drive. He is not the only resident, but he is the only member of his family awake right now. His parents Taeyong and Jaehyun are sleeping soundly in their cozy bed, same as his younger brother Jisung. So, it’s safe for Jeno to assume that the crazy man next to the train is calling out for him, but how can that be possible? There shouldn’t even be a train outside his house at all! 

“Lee Jeno, if you do not board this train within the next ten seconds I _will_ be forced to leave without you...” 

The nineteen-year-old has no reason for running out of his bedroom and tripping through the hallway. No reason to fly down the stairs and throw open his front door. _Absolutely_ no reason to sprint across his lawn and towards the train as it hisses, dings and starts to chug away. 

He grips the handle on one of the train cars and hauls himself onto the platform just in time to stare up at the conductor before him. 

“Lee Jeno?” 

“Y-Yessir,” he gulps, eyes darting down to the man’s name tag. “Mr. John-” 

“Up-up-up! You may call me the conductor, young man. Although...not so young, are we, Mr. Lee? You’re nineteen then?” The man seems to magically reveal a clipboard from behind his back and flip through the pages as he talks to Jeno. Jeno doesn’t have the time to say ‘yes’ before he’s interrupted. “Nineteen, yes. A pivotal age for this sort of thing. My, oh, my, you should have been here years ago. At least at the age of twelve. Tell me, was that when you stopped believing?” 

“In what?” 

“You’ll see.” 

Jeno can barely hear the conductor over the rushing wind and snow as the train gets farther and farther away from the city. He realizes he can’t even see his house anymore. The conductor takes him by the arm and pushes him into the train car. 

“Mr. Lee, welcome aboard the Polar Express!” 

“The polar what now?” 

“The Polar Express!” 

Jeno looks around the train car. It’s half full with children that look Jisung’s age and younger. A little boy and girl run around them and Jeno tries to stay out of their way so the kids don’t trip. 

“Where does it go?” he asks, looking up at the man in confusion. 

“The North Pole, of course. That’s why it’s called the Polar Express. Now, take your seats, take your seats,” The conductor pats him on the shoulder and walks away down the aisle of the train car. “Everyone, take your seats!” Jeno hurries to sit in the nearest empty both. He’s still confused and a little bit dazed as he stares out the window at the moving scenery. The conductor’s voice and the laughter of children are background noise as he squints through the fog at all the lights among the snow. 

He must be dreaming. 

A steam train in the middle of the city that takes you all the way to the North Pole? It can’t possibly be real. Jeno is just having a very weird, very realistic dream in his bed at home. In the morning he’ll wake up and he’ll pretend to enjoy the Christmas festivities like he’s been doing for the past few years. (Jaehyun often calls him a Scrooge during the festive season. Taeyong only berates him, but doesn’t disagree.) Then he’ll sit around and wait for the holidays to be over so he can go back to school. He’s probably the only one who’d rather be at school than- 

“Hey!” 

Jeno blinks and comes out of his daze at the sudden voice. He turns to his right and sees a boy around his age standing next to the seat. 

“Hi...” 

“Mind if I sit here?” 

He thinks for a moment before shaking his head and moving over to give the boy more room. “Go ahead,” he says, hoping that will be the last of their conversation and that he can just _wake up_ from this weird ass dream. 

“What’s your name?” 

Or not. 

“Jeno.” 

“Oh, cool! My name is Chenle.” Out of the corner of his eye, Jeno sees the boy hold out his hand. “Zhong Chenle.” He shakes it hesitantly. “Nice to meet you.” Chenle smiles at him with all of his teeth and Jeno isn’t sure why. He’s not exactly the most approachable person in the world, and he doesn’t bother smiling back. 

“Nice to meet you too, I guess.” 

“You guess?” 

“I can take it back.” 

Chenle laughs. The kind of laugh that’s too loud and obnoxious, and he claps his hands together while still smiling. 

“You’re funny, Jeno!” 

“Am not.” 

“Are too.” 

The boy grins and Jeno rolls his eyes before sighing. He settles into his seat and gives up on trying to leave the dream or ignore the boy. Might as well pretend it’s all real until he wakes up, right? Right. 

“So, what’s your favorite part about Christmas?” 

It’s been a few minutes now since Chenle has sat down next to him. Jeno has his arms crossed over his chest and he’s been staring ahead at nothing to avoid looking at the boy. He faces him now, finally taking in the boy's features. His pajamas are lavender colored and made of silk – a matching set. Different from Jeno’s own sleepwear which is composed of one of his fathers’ old band shirts and a pair of checkered lounge pants. Chenle’s hair is light brown and falls into his eyes which sparkle as he looks at Jeno. 

“I hate Christmas.” 

“What?” That sparkle in the boy’s eyes fades a bit and Jeno wonders if it’s because of him. “What do you mean you hate Christmas?” 

“I just hate Christmas. The music is annoying, having to buy presents for everyone is annoying and Santa Claus isn’t even real. Big companies just made him up so they could sell more stuff during Christmas.” 

“Santa Claus is real though.” 

“What?” 

Chenle is pursing his lips next to him and shrugs, “Santa Claus is real. I’ve met him before.” 

“Oh, yeah? When?” 

“Here! On the Polar Express.” 

“You’ve been here before?” 

The boy nods excitedly and starts smiling again. He seems happy to talk about himself and the train they’re currently riding. 

“This is my fourth year on the express! You’re really only supposed to ride it once and that’s it, but I have...connections.” He leans over to Jeno and holds one hand up to his mouth to whisper. “Just don’t tell the kids or else they’ll get jealous.” Jeno regards him with a look that hopefully says something along the lines of ‘you’re crazy.’ 

“Aren’t you a kid?” 

“No! I’m eighteen!” 

Now Jeno’s face probably says something like ‘I don’t believe you.’ 

“I am!” 

“Fine, fine. You’re eighteen and you believe in Santa Claus. Just further proof for me that this is just some weird dream.” 

“You think this is a dream?” 

“Uh, yeah? How else would you explain this? Come on, a train that takes you to the North Pole? To supposedly meet Santa Claus? It has to be a dream.” 

“It’s not a dream. It’s magic!” 

“Magic? Are you serious?” 

“Yes! The Polar Express is a magic train. That’s how it picks up kids from so many different places. Your name is Korean, right? I’m from China! And I’m pretty sure the conductor is American. Anyways, it’s all powered by magic and the Spirit of Christmas!” 

“The Spirit of Christmas is a lie made by capitalism to sell merchandise.” 

Chenle narrows his eyes at Jeno and the older boy stares right back at him, even raising a brow as if to challenge him. The younger appears to lose when he turns away and crosses his arms. Jeno hears him huff and he’s pretty sure Chenle is pouting. Neither of them says anything for the next minute or so and Jeno is grateful for it. Maybe he can finally get away from this stupid dream. 

“I’m going to prove you wrong.” 

Or not. Again. 

“You’re going to prove me wrong?” 

“Uh-huh. You’ll see. Santa is real, and so is magic and the Spirit of Christmas. If I prove you wrong by the end of Christmas Eve I win.” 

“Then I win if you don’t prove it to me by midnight?” 

“Exactly.” 

“Fine. You can go ahead and try.” 

“Yes!” Throwing his arms in the air Chenle grins at Jeno like it’s already Christmas day and he’s seeing all his presents under the tree. Jeno can’t relate. He wonders why the boy is so excited, and doesn’t expect it when Chenle hugs him suddenly. It only lasts for a second before the younger boy is pulling away from him, leaving Jeno to silently deal with the foreign flurry of emotions in his chest. “I’m going to win this. I promise!” 

“Uh-huh...” Jeno responds distractedly. “Sure.” 

“Next stop, 55 Verde Avenue.” The conductor’s voice crackles through the speakers of the train car, but Jeno barely pays attention to it. “Next stop, 55 Verde Avenue. Ah, ah, ah, that is not a toy, young man! Young man, that is not a toy. Hm-hm, sorry about that. To our current passengers, refreshments are on their way! Please, stay seated and enjoy the ride.” 

“Ooh, here comes the hot chocolate! You have to try it, Jeno, it’s the best!” Chenle practically vibrates next to him as the car doors burst open and waiters pour in with trays and cups. Jeno does his very best to ignore the singing and dancing and back-flipping. Only more proof that this is a dream as they chorus in perfect pitch and not a single drop of liquid gets spilled during the number. 

The hot chocolate _is_ pretty good. Jeno will admit that much to himself, but he won’t say it out loud. He doesn’t want to give Chenle the satisfaction now that they’ve made their bet. (Although with the way Chenle is smiling secretively in his direction he must already know that Jeno likes it.) 

"Wake up. Jeno, wake up!” 

“Wha-huh?” 

Jeno must have dozed off at some point. Probably after drinking the hot chocolate (rich and creamy, it never got cold and was never too hot. The perfect recipe for sleep when he had his head against the window and listened to the constant rocking of the train.) Chenle is shaking his arm right now and the older boy groans.

“Finally, you’re awake! You have to look outside your window now! Open your eyes!” 

“Can you stop yelling?” Jeno asks grumpily. He does open his eyes, but only to glare at Chenle as the boy leans halfway over him. Instead of the expression scaring him off it seems to do the exact opposite. He grabs Jeno by the sides of his face and turns his head towards the window. 

“Look.” 

Outside the glass is a wintry world of snow and ice. Purple mountain peaks rise far in the distance, and the glowing moon hangs low above the earth. Painted in waves across the navy sky are beautiful lights. The northern lights if Jeno remembers correctly (his geography teacher, Doyoung, would kill to see such a thing in person). Bright shades of green, blue and pink dance around each other as the train rolls by and Jeno can’t help but stare with wide eyes. 

“Isn’t it beautiful?” 

Turning away from the fantastic sight to look at Chenle he sees the other boy leaning over him to watch the lights as well. Jeno shrugs and looks outside the window again. 

“Sure. I guess it is.” 

“Just admit. You think it’s pretty.” 

“Okay, it is a little bit pretty. Are you happy?” 

“Not yet. You’re a tough nut to crack, Lee Jeno.” 

Jeno frowns, “How do you know my full name?” 

In their reflections on the window he can see Chenle roll his eyes before grinning. The boy flops back into his seat and Jeno decides to do the same and face his body forward. 

“The conductor yelled it when we were picking you up, remember?” 

“Oh, right.” 

“Anyways, we’re getting closer to the North Pole! The lights mean we’re close, you know.” 

Jeno regards the boy with a raised eyebrow. There doesn’t seem to be any winning with him as all Chenle does in return is smile. He kicks his feet gently up and down, almost losing a fancy slipper in the process. 

“That’s not possible. The train can’t travel that fast. How long was I asleep?” 

“Like half an hour.” 

“Exactly. We can’t have traveled so far in just half an hour. It would take a lot longer to start seeing the northern lights.” 

“But we just saw them?” 

“So, but, I mean, ugh...whatever.” 

“Whatever,” Chenle imitates and then laughs. “Just admit it, Jeno. You’re starting to believe a little bit in the magic.” 

“I am doing no such thing.” 

Chenle’s nose scrunches as he frowns a little and Jeno valiantly pushes away any thoughts about it. It is definitely _not_ cute. Not at all. (If he’s the only one who knows that at this point he’s decided to keep saying 'no,' if only to see the expression on Chenle’s face again, it’s only Jeno’s business and nobody else’s.) 

“Just you wait!” Chenle exclaims, reaching out to poke Jeno in the arm. “There’s a lot more for me to show you. We still have a few hours until midnight.” 

“Bring it on.” 

There’s more singing and more dancing the closer the train gets to...wherever it’s going. Jeno refuses to believe that it’s _actually_ going to the North Pole. Or maybe he could believe it’s the northernmost part of the globe, with ice glaciers and polar bears and all that. But not the _North Pole_ as in Santa’s workshop and all his little elves making toys and magic reindeer pulling magic sleighs. 

“I’ve been inside his workshop before. It’s actually more like a factory than a workshop.” Chenle is still talking his ear off since Jeno hasn’t fallen asleep again. 

“Were you allowed to go in there?” 

“Uh...no?” The younger boy smiles sheepishly and ducks his head. Then he shrugs his shoulders and says, “I kinda snuck in there the first time I rode the train. You know, fourteen year old curiosity and all that. I wanted to see what it was like on the inside!” 

“You mean you wanted to see if there were any presents for you.” 

Chenle pouts again and Jeno has to force himself to look away before he does something stupid like stare too long. “Okay, yes, maybe it’s because I wanted to see if Santa had any presents for me. You can’t blame me though! Any other kid would have done the same.” 

“Yet you’re the only one who left the group that year to sneak into his workshop?” 

“Stop making me look like a bad kid, Jeno.” he whines, tugging on the older boy’s arm and accidentally pulling him closer. Jeno is facing him now with eyes the size of saucers as their noses are inches apart. He leans back and coughs into his fist, retracting his arm from Chenle’s grip. The other boy scoots an inch or two down the seat. 

“Fine, fine. I’ll stop.” 

The silence is awkward and Jeno doesn’t know how to fix it. Normally, he’d just walk away if it were any other conversation, but they’re on a closed train and Chenle isn’t just any person. Jeno’s become a little fond of him in the short time they’ve spent sitting together, even though that’s just another thing he’ll never say out loud. The boy is a nice distraction from all the crazy stuff going on outside the train and in Jeno’s head. A constant in this weird dream world. Maybe that’s why he tries to pick up from where they left off. 

“Well...” 

“Well, what?” 

He coughs again and shrugs, “What did the inside of his workshop slash factory look like?” 

The light in Chenle’s eyes reignites as he starts explaining the inside of Santa’s supposed workshop. For once Jeno does his best to listen intently. He doesn’t know how long he spends just listening to Chenle’s voice as the younger talks about conveyor belts and chutes and all the colorful wrapping paper. Chenle spins tales about how he got lost and ended up in one of those chutes that first time sneaking into the workshop, which he describes as a “big, scary slide, ten out of ten would not ride again” and Jeno laughs (just a little). He’s so focused on the sound of Chenle’s voice that Jeno notices immediately when he falls silent. 

“Why’d you stop talking?” he asks, glancing over at the boy, but Chenle isn’t looking anywhere near him. His gaze is drawn to something outside the window, and that’s when Jeno notices all the other children in the train car yelling and laughing. 

“Look, there it is!” 

“We’re finally gonna meet Santa Claus!” 

Suddenly Chenle takes him by the arm again and shakes Jeno, forcing him to look out the window at their destination. 

“Look, Jeno, the North Pole!” 

It’s a sight to see. A circular city of brick-red buildings and fluffy white snow. Bridges and towers and shops are everywhere the closer they get. All the lights are tinted with a golden glow, and if Jeno squints he can make out a huge bright _thing_ in the center of it all. When they make it into the outer edge of the city he can’t see it anymore behind brick walls, but somehow he knows that’s where the train is headed. 

“Greenland.” 

“Huh?” 

“It can’t be the North Pole because there’s nothing at the north pole. I think it’s Greenland.” Jeno says, turning to look at Chenle who’s frowning once more at his remark. 

“You really don’t believe yet?” 

“I have no reason to.” 

Jeno doesn’t like the expression on Chenle’s face. He looks much better when he’s happy and smiling, and maybe Jeno shouldn’t be saying these things about Christmas and Santa if the boy likes them so much. Jeno still doesn’t believe though, and it’s almost midnight, he’s sure of at least that. 

“One last thing then. I have a little bit of time to prove to you that all of this is real.” 

“Okay.” 

The train whistles and carries them through the maze of buildings and tunnels. Chenle stays quiet for the rest of the ride, and Jeno wishes he’d go back to talking about the wonders of Christmas again just so he can hear his voice. 

“Come on.” 

Chenle takes him by the hand and starts leading Jeno away from the crowd. 

“What? Why?” 

The train had come to a stop in the middle of a large square just a few minutes ago. Jeno was right that the biggest light in the city was there, in the form of a huge star on top of a ginormous Christmas tree. The conductor had ushered them off the train and into a crowd full of...short people.

(“Elves, Jeno! They’re elves.” 

“Elves aren’t real.” 

“Ugh!”) 

The entire square was buzzing with activity. All the little people running around were cheering and hugging each other, waving to friends and chatting while they waited for _something_. Jeno doesn't know what that something is, and he assumes they're staying to find out. Only now Chenle is dragging him through the crowd towards the edge and away from the center where everyone is gathering. 

“I want to show you something.” says the younger, finally taking them out of the crowd and into a more dimly lit area. Jeno looks back at the train and the other kids, eyes catching briefly on a pair of elv- short people, one with bright red hair and the other with bubblegum pink. Weird. As they lean in to kiss each other Jeno turns away. 

“Where are we going?” 

“You’ll see.” 

So Jeno lets Chenle take him wherever he wants, just following along. At some point Chenle’s fingers become interlocked with his, but Jeno isn’t complaining about it. It’s actually kind of...nice. They walk under rounded arches and through small corridors, finally taking a winding staircase up to the very top of a small tower. It’s not nearly as tall as the giant Christmas tree in the square. Only about two thirds of that height, but still tall enough that when Jeno looks out the small window everyone below is tiny. 

“Why are we up here?” he asks, turning to look at Chenle when the younger lets go of his hand. 

“We can see everything better up here.” 

“Aren’t we too far away?” 

“No. You’ll see. It’s better to be up here than on the ground because all the elves get really excited and start climbing on each other’s shoulders and stuff.” 

“Why?” 

“For Santa, of course!” 

“Right, Santa...is that who everyone is waiting for?” 

“Duh.” 

“I don’t really care about that,” Jeno bites the inside of his cheek and looks out the window again. “It is...pretty up here though.” Being up so high he can see everything like Chenle said. All the pretty lights and the Christmas decorations. It’s even a little heart-warming, but Chenle doesn’t need to know that. 

“Isn’t it? I actually haven’t been up here before either.” He comes next to stand next to Jeno and look out the window with him, and Jeno can feel the warmth of Chenle’s arm against his. “It’s beautiful.” 

_Not as beautiful as you...wait, what_ , Jeno shakes his head at the sudden thoughts and turns to look at Chenle. The younger’s attention is held by the festivities down below and Jeno gets a clear picture of his happiness. The joy in his eyes, sparkling so much brighter than any of the lights, and his lips curving into a serene smile. Oh, Jeno hasn’t thought about anyone like this before, but here his heart is, beating out of time to the smile of a boy he barely knows. For the first time since this strange night began Jeno wishes so badly that it wasn’t just a dream. 

“Jeno, look! It’s Santa! He’s here!” 

Forcing himself to look away Jeno turns his gaze back to the square where, sure enough, a big man in a bright red suit is walking through the crowd. There’s a sleigh just in front of the Christmas tree with a huge sack of presents on the back, and eight reindeer at the front to pull it along. Chenle talks next to him while Jeno stares at all the commotion. 

“It’s almost midnight, but just before that he picks one of the kids from the train to receive the first present. I was chosen my second time riding! Oh, I just thought...what if he was going to pick you? And I brought you all the way up here. Sorry.” 

“It’s okay.” 

“But-?” 

“I already told you I don’t care about that stuff.” 

“You...still don’t believe?” 

Jeno shrugs instead of giving the boy a straight answer. Deep down he really isn’t sure anymore. He can’t just change everything he thinks in one night, much less just a few hours. 

“I don’t know. I still don’t really care about all that Christmas stuff, but,” he leans a little into the windowsill, placing his head in his palm while overlooking all the cheering people and kids as one of them climbs up into the sleigh. “I really wish this was all real. I don’t want it to be a dream...” 

“Why?” 

_Because I want you to be real_. 

“Because I want to believe. Christmas was my favorite time of year when I was a kid. I think somewhere along the way I just...gave up. Trying to believe in it all.” 

“Well, maybe this year things will change.” 

“Yeah, maybe...” 

They both fall quiet after that and simply watch everything happening down below. Jeno assumes the first present has been given as the nameless kid scrambles out of the sleigh and all the little people cheer and dance and climb on top of each other’s shoulders like Chenle said. It looks like the big man is giving a speech, but from way up in the tower Jeno can’t hear any of it. 

He jumps a little when he feels Chenle’s hand against his, but lets the boy wrap his fingers around it so they’re holding onto each other. (Jeno doesn’t want to let go, and isn’t that just strange? He doesn’t believe in Santa or the Magic of Christmas, and he’s never believed in Love at First Sight, but he’s getting closer to changing his mind about the latter when he squeezes Chenle’s hand and smiles to himself.) 

“He’s about to take off! One more minute till midnight.” 

“Are you supposed to do anything special at midnight? Or just watch him fly away?” 

“I...don’t know. I’ve never thought about that before. Usually we just cheer and then the train takes us back home.” 

“Hm...okay,” Jeno steps away from the window as the sleigh starts lifting in the air. “Shouldn’t we head back down then?” 

Chenle faces him. He’s still holding his hand. 

“Yeah...” 

The sleigh rises higher and higher into the air, sailing over the crowd and creating a trail of auroras and sparkling lights. Jeno isn’t paying attention to them. He’s too caught up in the way those very same lights are dancing in Chenle’s eyes as they look at each other. 

“It’s almost midnight. Have I proven you wrong?” 

“I’m not so sure, but...there is something you’ve changed my mind about.” 

“What?” 

Chenle is grinning at him now and Jeno can feel the stupid smile growing on his own face. The kind his dads get when they think no one is watching them stare at each other. 

“It’s a secret.” 

He laughs when Chenle pouts at that and starts to pull his hand back, but Chenle keeps holding on. 

“At least give me a hint? Please?” 

“Fine, one hint. Close your eyes.” 

“Why do I need to close my eyes?” he asks, but still complies, lashes fanning over his cheeks as Jeno takes hold of his other hand. The crowd outside the tower gets louder and Jeno thinks there’s music playing now. The fantastic lights are getting bigger and brighter and all he can pay attention to is Chenle. 

He leans forward as the noise and lights crescendo into one. 

When he pulls back Chenle has his eyes opened and he’s smiling at Jeno like he’s just given him the best present of the year. 

“Me too, Jeno.” 

The clock strikes midnight.

The ride home is much more quiet than before. Many of the other children are tired and falling asleep in their seats, while anyone else still awake has gone quiet from spending too much energy. Jeno, try as he might to stay awake, has his head laying against Chenle’s shoulder as the train chugs away through the ice and snow. He’s not asleep yet, but he’s getting there, as much as he doesn’t want to. 

“Go to sleep, Jeno.” 

“Don’t wanna...gotta stay up...” 

_If I don’t stay awake I’m scared that this really is just a dream and tomorrow I’ll open my eyes and you’ll have never existed._

“Sleep, Jeno. I’ll wake you up when we get to your house.” 

“Promise?” 

“Promise.” 

Jeno can’t help but listen, and soon enough he’s drifting off into sweet slumber. 

“Jeno! Jeno, wake up! Santa was here!” 

Jeno groans and rolls over in his bed as Jisung shoves at him, trying to physically push him onto the floor. Tall brat. 

“You don’t even believe in Santa, Jisung.” 

“Well, I have to pretend for dad one and dad two since you don’t.” 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be down in a minute.” 

He listens as his younger brother’s footsteps pad away down the hall, leaving Jeno alone under the covers. He rolls over and stares up at his ceiling, the memories of last night coming back to him all at once. The train in front of his house, the singing waiters – a boy with brown hair and shining eyes who tells him all about Magic and Christmas. 

Jeno slips out of bed and half-jogs to his window, a foreign sense of hopefulness in his chest as he looks outside. 

No train tracks. 

No lines in the snow. 

It wasn’t real. 

Of course, how could it have been real? Magical trains and the North Pole and Santa Claus and the Spirit of Christmas. Falling in Love at First Sight. Beautiful boys with beautiful smiles and beautiful eyes. He doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. 

“Jeno!” One of his fathers, probably Taeyong, yells up the stairs and Jeno steps away from the window. 

“Coming!” 

He wipes his tired eyes and puts on a sweatshirt that was hanging over his desk chair to keep warm. He’ll just forget about the dream – that felt too real, too fantastical – and focus on his family. 

“Hurry up, Jeno! Your breakfast is getting cold!” 

“I’m coming!” 

“Jeno, are you sure you don’t want to go?” 

His fathers and brother are standing in front of the door dressed head to toe in coats and scarves. They’re about to leave for a Christmas party at the mayor’s house just down the street. Jeno doesn’t know much about the mayor besides his name (Moon Taeil) and that he just recently married to his husband (Nakamoto Yuta) earlier in the year. 

Ever since he turned fifteen Jeno stopped going to the annual Christmas party since his parents allowed him to stay home alone. His reasons for not going have always been his dislike for Christmas. This year he’s just a little too blue to head out. 

“I’m sure. Send me pictures though, and bring those cakes I like?” 

Jaehyun ruffles his hair and smiles at the boy, which reassures Jeno that he’s not too terrible of a person for not going. 

“Sure thing, sport. Make sure you lock the door.” 

“I will.” 

Once they leave the house is quiet. Too quiet. 

Jeno might actually feel a little lonely now that he’s the only one there. Before it wouldn’t have mattered to him. Last year he'd just played games until his family came home and then went to sleep, end of story. His dream from last night still clings to him though, and he blames that for how he feels right now. 

He looks at the Christmas tree in his living room. It has a faint warm glow, sprinkled with shiny ornaments and candy canes. For the first time in years Jeno’s heart aches for a want to actually enjoy the holiday. 

Yet here he is, alone in his own house, preparing for an evening by himself where all he’ll probably do is lay down on the couch and scroll through his phone. At least, that’s what Jeno assumes is going to happen, but after an hour or two his doorbell is ringing and interrupting the silence. Who would be coming to house at this hour? His family isn’t supposed to be back until later, and he didn’t invite anyone. 

The bell rings again. 

“Coming, coming. Just a second,” he says, finally getting up from the couch and walking towards the entryway. Jeno turns the doorknob and expects to see his family on the other side. He definitely doesn’t expect it to be- 

“Jeno!” 

“Chenle?” 

Suddenly he has an armful of the younger boy and his brain short circuits. How is Chenle here? At his house? How is he even real? 

“You- I- What?” 

Chenle laughs and it washes over him like warm sunshine, thawing the coldness in his chest as Chenle pulls back to look him in the eye. His eyes sparkle just the same as they did last night in the tower. Wait, the tower, “It was real? You’re real?” 

“Of course I’m real, dummy! I told you, didn’t I?” 

“I thought it was a dream.” 

Jeno finally moves and wraps his arms around the younger boy, holding him close on his own porch, like he fears that if he lets go Chenle will disappear with the wind and snow. The boy hugs him back and places his chin on Jeno’s shoulder. 

“I’m here. I’m real.” 

“You’re real.” 

Jeno whispers it, a secret for just the two of them as he closes his eyes. Chenle is warm. 

“Do you believe now?” 

_A magical train that takes you all over the world and to the North Pole. A sleigh that flies through the air pulled by reindeer and has presents for every kid around the globe. A big man in a red suit who makes that trip in a single night. A Spirit that makes you want to give, and Magic that makes anything possible_. 

“I guess...I do.” 

“Then that means I win!” 

“Actually,” Jeno is the one who pulls back this time, grinning at Chenle when the boy squints at him. Getting over his initial shock he can’t help how happy he is to know that Chenle is real (and yeah, maybe happy about all the Christmas stuff too, but shh, Chenle can wait to know about that). “It’s past midnight. So technically, I still win.”

“But I got you to believe!” 

“Yes, after midnight.” 

He laughs now as Chenle pouts and resists the urge to twirl with him in his arms and squish his cheeks. Or kiss him. That too.

“Whatever. You’re still a believer now.” 

“Maybe. I mean, it must be magic if I already lik-” he stops himself before he can say anything more, sealing his lips. Chenle’s regards him with wide eyes before smiling and leaning closer. He looks up at Jeno with a mischievous expression, and Jeno wishes he hadn’t opened his mouth at all.

“You already what?” 

“I...” he sighs and turns his head, so he’s at least not looking at Chenle’s face. “I may have fallen in love at first sight.” 

Chenle hums and doesn’t say anything for a few seconds. Jeno wonders if he said something wrong, but then Chenle is leaning forward to whisper in his ear. Like the tower, with its golden lights and the golden boy in Jeno’s arms. The best thing he ever could have wished for. 

“Me too.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, they fall in love in a few hours because magic. The end.


End file.
